Through this time of nonemployment, I have become quite a calm person. I used to be Miss Reactive who freaks out over every little thing (I'm sure many of you are chuckling and thinking of a time recent or not in which I have over reacted a bit..), but now that all my stress is gone.. I have but a care in the world! I didn't really realize this until a few weeks ago when I was working out at the gym and Everett came over (because it is right across from his building on base) to let me know that we are being kicked out of our current place a month before we are allowed to move into our next place. Now my typical reaction would be "OH MY GOD WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO??? WE WILL HAVE NO WHERE TO LIVE!! WHAT ABOUT THE DOGS?? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME EVERETT????" Well... not so in this case.. all I said was, "Ok.. I'm sure it will all work out.." I think Everett was more surprised by my reaction than I was because I received a really confused look and then he backed away a little freaked out..
If there is one thing I have learned in this few months of de-stressing, and probably the months or years of stress before them, it's that when you trust in God.. He will take care of you! He has proved that to me numerous times throughout my life, and I think I'm finally getting it.. 24 and a half years later...
So in our plan to work it all out.. we decided that I would go home for a few weeks, and Everett eventually decided to join me.. this left us with the only one choice for the dogs.. to kennel them.. Now I wasn't too excited about this, but while I was at the vet I found a brochure for a really nice kennel. They would be able to stay in the same unit, and the people let them out daily for individual attention and social time. They will also be going through a little training while they are there.. This made me feel a little better that they would be receiving a little love and attention while we are gone, but I know that I will miss them!
We had it all figured out, so I finally got brave enough to post a blog about it.. bad idea.. because once I broadcast anything... it allllll changes.. haha!
Yesterday I called Everett while he was at work to see if he had gotten a hold of the lady about when our house was to be completed.. he hadn't yet, but he DID have some really great news! His flag football team is currently number 1 at Mildenhall.. and with only a few more games left in the season, they are pretty much unbeatable.. If they do win, they get to go to the championships.. IN ITALY!!!! I was so excited because that is the place that I want to go really really bad! Then he told me the dates... November 11-14.... great... when I'm supposed to be going home... Well we don't even know yet if they will go, but if they do.. sorry.. I'm going to Italy! haha... And then I will be home from the 15-29! Which means THANKSGIVING!!!
So we got that taken care of, then the lady calls back about the house... And gives us that bad news.. It won't be ready until December and possibly January..... Yeeeeaaaahhhh.... Not happening! So Everett calls me up to tell me to start the search again.. This just irked me a bit, but I had been feeling this coming, so I had spent the last couple days just seeing what is available.. Well I looked up what they had just posted that day, and there was one from Newmarket (where we currently live and don't want to leave) in our price range!!! I looked at the pictures and even though there may be a few painting changes (blue and yellow may make great wedding colors.. but are NOT good kitchen colors.. haha) it was perfect.. So I called Everett back up and told him with absolute confidence.. I have found our house!! He set up the appointment to view it just a few short hours later...
Driving up to the house I thought great.... here we go again... The houses looked kind of shabby... and we had plenty of experience looking at shabby houses... none of them good... We made it up to the house and were greeted by the current resident and her two adorable little girls, British accents and all! It is nice getting a tour by the current residents because they live there and will tell you the truth! She ushered us in and we started on the main level.. Walking in the entrance hallway to the right is a full bathroom, coat closet, and storage closet.. To the left is the rather large living room.. The wallpaper in both rooms is not the best.. but not the worst of what we have seen.. (Worst: Think bright purple with a very odd pattern... in the living room...) Then she leads us to the kitchen..... which is a definite selling point in the house.. it has not one but TWO full sized refrigerator/freezers.. now this may sound odd to Americans that I get excited about this.. but here in the UK they consider a dorm fridge to be a normal sized fridge.. so having two full sized is super luxurious! Not only that but they are built in so they look like cabinets!! So is the dishwasher and washing machine!! The stove is electric.. which most people here prefer gas.. NOT ME!! And it is all touch screen.. so it's really cool! Also, the current residents have taken the liberty to already paint the kitchen a normal color.. so I don't have to!! We joked a bit about the previous color scheme...
The dining room is connected to the kitchen, separated only by a bar area.. The dining room has all sorts of storage cabinets in it and is very roomy!! Both of these rooms have doors leading out to the rear garden (as they call it here) which has a nice deck, a stone BBQ area, and a yard with an actual garden in it! Plenty of room for the puppies.. and the best part is that our next door neighbors also have two German Shepherds!!
Going up the stairs in the hallway takes you to the bedrooms, there are four bedrooms.. three of good size, one that's pretty small.. And the best part about this.. they are all fitted with CLOSETS!! Another luxury here in the UK (they normally use wardrobes.. like in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe..). And then another great part is the main bathroom upstairs.. it has double sinks, and a full shower/bath.. AND enough counter space to make anyone jealous!!! The counters go around the whole room with the exception of the wall in which the bathtub takes up!!
Now it is kind of an older home, which is the reason for the shabbier looking outside, but the whole inside has been renovated and looks really great!! Plus, with it being 150 pounds under our monthly housing allotment, we are going to try to get them to throw in a gardener to make the outside look super nice (and to keep the plants alive since I have a brown thumb..) So of course we fell in love, but hadn't heard back from the landlord on whether or not we could have pets.. but considering the current people had a puppy.. we were hoping we would be OK..
Well... Everett got the call this morning that we and the puppies are APPROVED!!!! We couldn't be more excited!! We got everything we wanted.. including location.. which we didn't think was possible after our months of searching.. but like I said before.. God gave us what we wanted... he just made us be a little more patient about it!! Click on the link below to go to the website I found the house on and you can see some of the pictures of the house!
Click here to see our house!!
Now the only downside is that the current people (who are moving to Melbourne, Australia) won't be moving out until the 15th.. and we have to move out of our house on the 9th.. so there is a week of time in which we will be in limbo... BUT the lady was super nice and is willing to work with us if we need to move some of our stuff in a little earlier since their international movers will be taking their stuff on the 9th and 10th!! So it looks like the week of the 8th through the 15th just got even busier for us!! We are definitely going to have to figure out our priorities.. but we decided that no matter what we are STILL coming home!! So you don't have to worry about that!!
Whew.. what a whirlwind week!! Can't wait for the weekend so we can relax a bit!! And party for Halloween!!!! That reminds me.. I still need a costume......
Well.. that is all the updates I have for now!! Have a safe and Happy Halloween!!!!
